ABBEYFIELD School media students got to make their own Gromit models with one of Aardman Animation’s senior model makers.

Aardman, based in Bristol, produced Chicken Run as well as Nick Park’s Wallace and Gromit films A Close Shave and The Wrong Trousers.

Model maker Jim Parkyn was at the Chippenham school sharing his expertise with students in years 8, 10 and 13. He guided them through how to mould the Plasticine and explained some of the finer points of the stop-motion clay animation process in a series of ‘making of’ presentations.

Mr Parkyn has worked on all of Aardman’s most popular hits including the recent film Pirates, which has been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Animated Film category. The Oscars take place in Los Angeles on February 24.

The workshop was organised by English teacher Vanessa Rubery, who said: “We all had a fabulous day and it was fascinating to gain an insight into film-making. Pupils took home their Gromits with pride.”